ALS Learning Series
Mission Driven: How the VA is Transforming ALS Care
November 13, 2025
Ileana Howard, MD is the Medical Co-Director of the ALS Center of Excellence at the VA Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington, where she established and now oversees one of the busiest ALS programs in the Veterans Health Administration. In addition to her local responsibilities, she serves as the national Associate Director of Neurology for ALS in the Veterans Health Administration to provide oversight for the ALS System of Care, as well as establish and monitor adherence to national standards of care for Veterans with ALS.
Military Veterans are at increased risk of developing ALS. In 2008, the VA extended benefits to all Veterans with ALS who served greater than 90 days of active duty. Dr. Howard will discuss the unique steps the VA has taken to care for Veterans with ALS, and why the National Academies called the VA “A bright spot in the landscape of ALS care” in 2024.
Click here to view Dr. Howard’s presentation deck.
To learn more about ALS care at the VA visit www.va.gov/health/als.asp or email: alscare@va.gov
The Les Turner ALS Foundation is proud to offer this webinar at no cost to the ALS community. Thank you to the Gilbert & Jacqueline Fern Foundation & Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America for sponsoring this webinar.
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